It was for the military authorities to decide what was
the best way of hitting back, and the Government had given them an absolutely free hand to use their air machines in whatever way they thought best to' secure military success. As for the question of giving warnings, Lord Derby admitted that there were strong arguments both for and against, but at a Conference of military, naval, and civil authorities held on Monday there was a consensus of opinion that the giving of warnings might do more harm than good. Lord Montagu concluded the debate with a plea for more aeroplanes and the appointment of some one in supreme command of the whole Air Service. The employment of air machines, in his view, was going to be the paramount issue before the end of the war, and everything must be subordinated to the manufacture of aeroplanes. We must look forward to air raids becoming more frequent and destructive of life.
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